First task for Isabirye: Goal hunt at Wakiso

Vipers, under sacked Beto Bianchi, were a team with absolutely no identity at all. On the flipside, new boss Alex Isabirye's immediate work at Kitende is well cut out - deliver consistent results, get a style of play and employ right tactics and above all, get the venoms stinging with goals again.

Tuesday's Stanbic Uganda Cup round of 16 clash with Wakiso Giants at Kabaka Kyabaggu Stadium, offers the former Bul gaffer a timely platform where his win-at-all-costs mentality fits in best, and he has promised to bite instantly.

"I'm very excited to be here and I'm looking forward to working with the excited group of players to develop a team and culture that our amazing fans can be proud of," Isabirye revealed to the club website upon his unveiling on Monday.

Isabirye's reputation is one of a man adept at building aggressive, go-getting and fiercely competitive long-term teams yet  at Vipers, the immediate priority is erasing a seven-game goalless run and reinstalling fear factor amongst opponents.   

It remains to be seen how the-say-as-it-is manager will polish rusty forwards Martin Kizza, Abubaker Lawal, Milton Karisa, Desire Tety, Ibrahim Orit and Abdul Lumala to punch holes into the Wakiso Giants backline manned by Grant masiko, Ambrose Arinda, Paul Willa and Alex Komakech. 

Goals remedy

"My first step is to work on the players' mindset and mention to them that I'm here to reward merit. Then, I want to establish why proven goalscorers like Yunus Sentamu and Karim Ndugwa are no longer finding the back of the net," he revealed.

Isabirye believes every forward has a chance to impress him in the long run but against an unpredictable Wakiso Giants, he will go with those  that are fit and ready to die for the club.

"They might have been unlucky or lacked fighting character and responsibility during the time they have struggled but that has got to change now.

At the moment, I don't have a first team or favouring anyone but I have a role to parade an attacking team to giove Vipers victory," Isabirye asserted. 

He worked with almost all the squad players at his first training sessions at Kisubi grounds and must now unleash a team to edge John Luyinda's Purple Sharks that have held the Venoms twice in the StarTimes Uganda Premier League encounters. 

Luyinda welcomes back defenders Ronald Madoi and Apollo Kagogwe from the Hippos (U-20) Afcon outing Egypt as well as forward Titus Ssematimba which will ultimately galvanize the home team. 

Luyinda, on February 28 upon drawing Vipers at this stage didn't fret at all and argued that everything in the knockout tournament is possible.

"It is like the other games.At this level you expect  to face anyone and so there are no worries at all for us.

"We are going to employ the same approach we used in the league. Cup games give anyone a chance to win and they are manageable because they are few. Our Hippos players (Titus Ssematimba, Ronald Madoi and Apollo) will be back by then so we will have a full squad and with an enviable home advantage," he told Daily Monitor. 

Vipers are fourth on the league log with 28 points from 15 matches while Wakiso Giants are fifth on 26 points from 17 matches.